


Nicotine

by GalaxyAqua



Category: Love Live! School Idol Project
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-02-22
Updated: 2016-02-22
Packaged: 2018-05-22 15:00:58
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6084105
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalaxyAqua/pseuds/GalaxyAqua
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Her cold remarks to Nico don’t come easy anymore.</p>
<p>It might be because she’s in (stupid, stupid, stupid) love.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Nicotine

**Author's Note:**

> oAo

In a sort-of roundabout way, Nico Yazawa was so goddamn annoying that it was cute.

In a really sort-of roundabout way.

Emphasis on really, and also double-emphasis on  _roundabout._

(Maybe triple emphasis on cute, but Maki’s going to take that thought to the grave.)

Regardless of it all, Maki knows well from experience that Nico’s quest is actually to be _conventionally_  cute – despite her methods being less than proper, since Nico’s cutest when she shuts up and laughs from her heart (but don’t tell anyone that, because that’s sappy and stupid) – and she’s honestly not that good at it.

From the catchphrase to the hand gestures to the godawful expressions she pulls, Maki finds that Nico just serves to irritate more than to please. But unfortunately, all the girls in their idol group are much too kind, and don’t comment on it.

Kotori, who is in fact conventionally cute by nature, especially tries to humor Nico. Maki finds that she wishes she wouldn’t. It would only make things worse. But nobody else will intervene.

The sharp tongue award goes to Maki herself, after all.

So when there’s something to comment on, she does.

* * *

 

Before they knew each other better, Maki found it easy to point out Nico’s blunders.

She’d scoff and roll her eyes and shrug her shoulders, only to meet the other girl’s fiery personality, often ending the conversation with Nico yelling something like, “Fight me,” and Maki walking away, like the mature young teenager her upperclassman wasn’t.

When she felt particularly bitter, Maki would whip out the insults, prodding at Nico until the older idol screamed at her, then tried to act as the one superior. The pianist hated the way Nico wouldn't let things go - would stubbornly persist to always be the last one standing. It drove her crazy. Every word from Nico sent her up the wall, and she even had dreams of those vicious magenta eyes, desperate, desperate for the final comeback.

Maki sort of found it pathetic.

But something changed, when one day Nico smiled, and it wasn’t the  _fake smile that did her head in_ but a  _beautiful sparkling smile that made her heart hammer hard in her chest._

And then Maki Nishikino knew she was screwed.

* * *

 

Her cold remarks to Nico don’t come easy anymore.

It might be because she’s in (stupid, stupid, stupid) love.

Of course, she vehemently denied it at first. Slapped her reddened cheeks in the mirror, muttered expletives with her face pressed into a pillow, played the school piano so aggressively it may have gone out of tune.

But even if she’s stupid enough to fall for Nico Yazawa, she’s not stupid enough to stay in denial. Denying it wouldn’t make her fall any less in love, or any more in hate.

Denying it wouldn’t make it any easier to counter Nico’s annoying personality.

Denying it wouldn’t make arguing with her any smoother than before.

The old Maki didn’t hold back, didn’t stop to stare, didn’t think about reaching out and taking that perfect little manicured hand, didn’t think about bursting every time Nico came too close.

She used to cut the other girl down at every given opportunity.  

Nowadays, it’s often just a quick, “Stop,” and a turn of her head. It lacks bite, it lacks fire, and Nico knows it – even when she doesn’t call Maki out on it, choosing to instead bask in her own little victories. Nico is easy to please like that, and Maki starts to hate that she’s the one doing the pleasing in the first place. It’s infuriating, how little Nico knows about her true feelings, but at the same time, if she had her way, Nico would never know.

Maki really tries to regain momentum, but lately it takes a lot more to stop the Nico train from crashing into the iron wall of everything-that-nobody-cares-about.  

“What’s wrong with you?” Nico provokes one day, arms crossed. Maki tries to pay attention to the sign behind her, but her gaze always falls back to meet Nico’s own. A rich, beautiful dark pink, vibrant and wild and intoxicating. Nico’s pigtails bounce as she cocks her head to the side and frowns. “You’ve been acting weird lately. Like, weirder than usual.”

The redhead blinks. “Have I really?”

“You think I would be asking, if you haven’t?” The other girl raises an eyebrow in disbelief. “What’s up?”

“The sky.” Maki remarks drily, feeling the immediate effect of Nico’s sour glare.

“I’m trying to be nice, dammit!”

“Oh. Is that what you’re doing?”

When Nico clenches her fists and scowls at her, Maki wonders how far gone she must be now, if she finds it adorable. Nico is awful, for doing this to her heart.

(But then again, Nico’s always kind of been awful.)

(… in a really cute way?)

They’re silent for a moment, just staring at each other. She can tell that the other is trying to figure her out, nose scrunching and eyes narrowing – but Nico’s never been all that good at reading other people, so Maki’s not worried.

“Well, whatever, I don’t care,” Nico finally decides to say, but having known her long enough, Maki knows she means the opposite. “It’s none of my business, anyway.”

“It’s not like I’m obligated to tell you, either,” Maki points out, adding a spark to a dying fire, just because she can.

Nico raises her arms in disbelief. Then almost dejectedly, she lowers them, and crosses her arms once more. Something akin to hurt flashes across Nico’s face – a blink and you miss it moment, she supposes – but Maki doesn’t miss it, and feels it like a stab in her gut.

“Seriously, Maki, what’s your problem? The others have been worried, you know. Not that I care, but… yeah, you know.”

It’s code for _I’m worried about you_ , and the redhead hates it because it always gets complicated when feelings are involved.

Because she’s in love with Nico, and she really shouldn’t be.

“I’ve just been tired, I guess,” she lies.   

“You’re not…” Nico bites her lip, and Maki pinches herself in the leg. She can’t stop her eyes catching the older girl’s every movement, and she feels a little ashamed. “You’re not… mad at me, are you?”

“No. Why would I be?”

“That answer just makes you more suspicious.” Nico accuses, but she’s barely trying now. Her barbed, prickly tone isn’t out to damage Maki. She just wants to know what’s wrong. She just wants to help. She’s Nico in her purest form, kind-hearted yet insecure, dishonest with her words but sincere with her concern.

However, no matter what Nico is wanting, or trying to figure out, Maki doesn’t intend on telling her.

“I’m not mad at you.” The redhead affirms. “I’m not mad at anyone.”

“Then what are you feeling?” Nico raises her arms in frustration, eyes shining now with what could be seen as pleading. Weakness. And Nico hated showing weakness. “Maki, I know we’re not like super into each other –” Internally, Maki laughs, because _god_ is she wrong, “ – but we’re still friends, you know. I’m not here to antagonize you. I just want you to tell me what you’re feeling right now.”

“It’s nothing, really,” she allows herself to say, but with a softer voice, so the other knows she’s being genuine. “Don’t worry about me. I’m fine.”

Nico’s not impressed. “You’re still gonna be stubborn about it, huh?”

“Yep. That’s it. That’s me.”

“God, Maki!” Nico groans. “Why are you so difficult? Why are you so hard to understand?”

“Well, why are you so annoying?”

“Nico’s not annoying!” She slips into her idol persona, pouting significantly and huffing like a child. The hand gestures return. “Nico is adorable, and she’ll make your heart beat fast!”

Maki only rolls her eyes, letting slip a, “You already do that without looking like a try-hard, Nico.”

And it’s only a joke, it really is, but she must have failed on delivering it because Nico stops short.

“You mean it?” She asks, eyes wide and hands clutched tight to her chest. She looks like an excited puppy – and that’s the biggest compliment she’ll ever get from internal Maki, so she better appreciate the thought.

“W-why’re you looking at me like that?” External Maki gets out, nerves on edge. She may have accidentally stepped a little too far.

“Does Nico really make your heart beat fast?”

Maki frowns, moment ruined. “I’m not answering any of your questions until you start talking normally.”

“Fine. Be that way. Do I make your heart go doki doki, princess Nishikino, the light of my life, the angel of my soul? Do you need to be praised more, all high and mighty, goodness, what more do you want from me –”

“You did that all on your own,” murmurs Maki. “I won’t take credit for you being stupid.”

“Well, excuse me,” Nico rolls her eyes, but the interest in her eyes hasn’t gone away. “Get over here, you dork. I want to try something.”

She obeys, only because her feet move without her telling them to.

At this point, Maki thinks she won’t take anything less than a kiss. Of course, she’d rather die than say something like that aloud. Falling in love with Nico was one of the biggest mistakes in her life.  

So naturally, when she’s presented with a kiss, and Nico’s red to her ears only letting it last half a second –

Maki’s brain short circuits.

And she demands, “Do it again. But with feeling.”

Nico, if possible, goes even redder.

“What?! Are you serious? No way, nuh uh. I am not doing that again.”

“Do it again, Nico. I dare you.”

The idol pulls a face, and then another, grimaces, and then shouts, “A great idol never backs down from a dare!” before she kisses Maki on the full, chaste and sweet, and just as she had demanded – ‘with feeling’.

“Well?” Nico asks as they part. “Good enough for you?”

“Maybe,” Maki teases. “I bet I could do better. Not that I’m going to try it on you, though.”

“I dare you,” the girl challenges, copying her own dirty tactic. “Actually fight me, Maki. There’s no way you’re better than me.”

Because ‘a great idol never backs down from a dare’, Maki takes her chin in her fingers and kisses her stronger – relishing in the fact that she can leave Nico speechless for once in her life.

“Do it again,” Nico says, grinning now, though she’s more flustered than Maki’s ever seen her. “I don’t think I got it the first time.”

**Author's Note:**

> screams


End file.
